Bittersweet Betrayal
by Kiriguya Kimiko
Summary: "A person is very strong when he seeks to protect something. I'll expect a good fight." -Heathcliff. Kirito, inventive, ingenious, unique. These would fit him perfectly. Something else would, too. Odd. Physically and mentally. Kirito has two odd-eyes. He is quick-minded, and has perfect memory. but he is for the most part unknowing. This isn't war. It's an Insurgency.
1. I: An Opening Ceremony

_October 7, 2008_

Kazuto was born the natural way, and for about an hour, nothing was wrong.

Until he opened his eyes. When he opened his eyes, the doctors and mother all gasped.

One eye was dark grey, almost black. The other was a shining crimson red.

Kiriguya Kazuto had heterochromia.

_November 7, 2013_

"Akihiko?" A very young Kiriguya Kazuto asked a boy of about seventeen.

"Yes, Kazuto-kun?"

"Why do you work most of the time? Why can't I play with you? You're always working, and I wanna play!"

"I'm working on something that is important, but I guess I can start attending to you. Do you want to help me get this inside, and we can start after that?"

"Yes!" And the two got the objects inside. Then emerged shortly afterwards, and started running.

**Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it.**

**-Sai Baba**

_August 5, 2022, 23:00, Kiriguya Residence_

"Hello, Kazuto-kun."

"Hi Akihiko-san. Nice work on that NervEGear. I hear you're working on a game?"

"Yes, Sword Art Online. Tomorrow is the launch of the Beta, well actually in an hour. I was wondering if you would like to try it out?"

"Sure. Just need to know how to play and I'll be good."

"Great. Let's start about now, before the launch of the beta. We wouldn't want nine hundred ninety-nine people to show up while we get used to it?"

"Yeah sure!"

_November 6, 2022, Sword Art Online's Official Release._

Kirito logged in, and ran to a stand that had books. Guide Books.

Kirito wrote out to a field. A guy with long pink hair ran up behind him. "Hey, My name's Klein. You seem to know a lot about this place? You were a beta tester weren't you?"

"I guess you could say that. Is this your first time diving?"

"Yes."

"Then let me show you the basics. Hold your sword out in a way that you can...

_17:25_

"Well, gotta go."

"Yeah."

Klein opened his menu. "Kirito, how do you Log Out?"

"Huh? Its right..."

"You see?"

The logout button wasn't there on Klein's screen. Kirito opened his menu and...

It was there. The button was flashing Red, but it was there. Kirito pressed it, and a message popped up.

«Administer Privileges Provoked»

Kirito's first thought was _I was an admin? _His second thought was _We are stuck in this game._

Kirito looked over at Klein. He shrugged and said:

"We can't log out. You'll freak out soon, it's five thirty..."

Then they got absorbed by blue light. They appeared at the Town of Beginnings, and there was a glowing message in the sky.

Kirito knew what this was, and he stood back, walking towards the exit, when he hit an invisible wall. He looked back, and the sky was filled with red. It all read:

«Warning»

«System Announcement»

Then red liquid fell from the sky, forming a large robed shape. Kirito couldn't see a face, but he knew that it was Akihiko-san. The very one who took care of him as a child. Kayaba Akihiko, the game master, was about to make a server wide announcement. And they were all trapped.

Kayaba started his speech. "Attention, players. I welcome you to my world. I am Kayaba Akihiko, and as of this moment, I am in control of this world.

"I'm sure most of you have already noticed an item missing from the main menu, the logout button. This is not a defect in the game. It is how Sword Art Online was designed to be. You cannot logout, and no one from the outside can shut down or remove the «Nerve Gear» from your head. Any attempt to do so will trigger a transmitter inside the «Nerve Gear» will discharge a Microwave signal into your skull, destroying your brain, and ending your life.

"Despite my warning, the family and friends of some players have attempted removing the «Nerve Gear», an unfortunate decision to say the least. As a result, the game now has two-hundred thirteen less players than when it began, leaving the total amount of players logged in to nine-thousand seven-hundred eighty-seven. The players that have gone have been both deleted from Aincrad and the Real World. International Media Outlets have round the plot coverage of everything, including the deaths.

"At this point, it's safe to assume the likelihood of the «Nerve Gear» being removed is minimal at best. I hope this brings you a little bit of comfort as you try to clear the game. It is important to remember the following. There is no longer any way to revive someone within the game. That is unless you have a special item, and you know how to use it, and when.

"If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be deleted from the system, forever. And the «Nerve Gear» will simultaneously destroy your brain. There is only one way for a player to log out of SAO. That is to clear the game. Right now, you are gathered on floor one, lowest level of Aincrad. If you get through the dungeon and defeat the boss, you can proceed to the next floor. Defeat the boss on floor one hundred, and you will clear the game.

"Last, but not least, I have placed a present in the item storage of every player. Please, have a look."

Kirito opened his storage, and took out the item. "A mirror?" Then lights absorbed every player individually, until everyone was covered in the blue glow. Then when the light had gone, everyone looked different.

"You're not a girl!" Someone exclaimed.

"You're not seventeen!" Another gasped.

"You OK, Kirito?"

"Yeah... Wait, who are you?"

"I'm me, but who are you?" Kirito looked into the mirror, and saw, to his surprise, his own face. The very one from Real Life. Two mismatched eye colors, that seemed almost mesmerizing. Everyone was exclaiming and making remarks, and what seemed to be a dominant population of beautiful female players seemed to have dwindled to just barely over a fifth of the population. Just over two thousand players. Roughly.

Kayaba started again, "Right now, you are probably wondering why. Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of SAO and the «Nerve Gear», do this? Initially, my goal was a simple one. The reason I created SAO was to control the fate of a world of my design."

"Aki-nii-san... Why?"

Kayaba continued. "As you can see, I have achieved my goal. This marks the end of the tutorial. And the official launch of Sword Art online. Players, I wish you the best of luck."

Kayaba dissolved into smoke and was absorbed into the glowing red sky, then the sky turned back into a cloudy, sunset yellow.

One angry and desperate person screamed:

"We're FUCKED!"

Kirito bolted from that spot, running out. Ignoring everyone, and closing his eyes. He ran into someone and he opened his eyes to say an apology.

"Sorry for-" Kirito didn't get to finish when he saw the person who he had run into. She had long Chesnutt hair, and light brown eyes. Her skin was light, and Kirito believed he had just saw the most beautiful person in the world.

For her, it was similar. She couldn't break her gaze. His eyes were a bit... Mesmerizing. It was hard not to focus on them. When she could break her gaze, and focus, she started to talk.

"I should apologize. I walked completely into your way...?"

"Kirito. My name is Kirito."

"I'm Asuna. It's nice to meet you, but I wish it was under different circumstances."

"Yeah..."

"You know more about this game, don't you? Can you help me? I'm just a beginner... I have never played an MMO before this..."

"SAO isn't really the best MMO to start with, first, but seeing as we're all stuck in game, I guess I can teach you, yeah."

"Thank you so much!"

"No problem. We should probably go, get started early to beat this game quickly."

"Yeah, lets go..." Kirito grabbed her hand, and they ran out of the town. Kirito drew his sword, and Asuna drew a slim rapier, and they fought off mobs while running past to get to the next town, and closer to the defeat of the first floor boss.

Little did they know, a man wearing red armor was following them, holding his shield while fighting off the weakened mobs with a long-sword.

His In Game Name was Heathcliff.

His real name, yet to be known to anyone of the nine-thousand eight-hundred players left, was Kayaba. Kayaba Akihiko.


	2. II: Breifing for Illfang

_Kazuto Kiriguya, at ten years old, was sparring with his sister, while Akihiko watched._

_for a bit, it seemed evenly matched, until Suguha hit Kazuto on the head, winning the match._

_"Good job, both of you," An old man, Kazuto and Suguha's grandfather, said from the back side of the room. Akihiko walked over to Kazuto, and told him he did a good job._

_Kazuto and Akihiko left early, while Sugu stayed behind with her grandfather. They made it to an apartment, that was Akihiko's, and walked inside. Kazuto picked up some parts, and went to a separate room, while Akihiko sat back, and picked up a helmet-like device. He opened it, and put a cartridge inside, and pur it down. He went to a computer and started working, typing out codes, and working on an essay. He had just finished what he was doing, before calling Kazuto so he could take him home._

_"Kazuto-kun, it's time to go!"_

_"Two seconds, Akihiko-chan!" Came his voice from above, and he came down holding what seemed to be a half-built computer. Akihiko asked a few times, and Kazuto told him, at last, that he had been interested in technology, since Akihiko was always working on some things on his computer, or on a headgear-type object._

_Kazuto walked inside his house waving goodbye to Akihiko, and Akihiko went back._

_When he walked inside, he made some edits to his project. Parts of Kazuto's creative thinking, his imagination, his memories._

_When he decided he was done, he saved and closed down his computer, then went to bed. Dreaming, about the place._

_A floating, giant, hundred floor Steel Castle._

**I've learned in my life that it's important to be able to step outside your comfort zone and be challenged with something you're not familiar or accustomed to. That challenge will allow you to see what you can do.**

**-J. R. Martinez**

_'Since the game began, a whole month has gone by. Two thousand players have died, a thrid of the ex Beta testers, and sixteen hundred new players._  
><em>No one has found the first floor boss. I used to be a beta tester, and even I haven't found the floor boss...'<em>

"HA!" Kirito's new sword, the «Anneal Blade» cut through a humanoid mob, who had a head similar to a furless wolf. Asuna stabbed another, who was wearing a Helmet, through the chest. The mobs shattered, and Kirito turned to face Asuna.

"I think it's time to leave. Coming?"

"Yeah, give me a second." Asuna opened her menu, and equipped a cload that covered her shoulders, and her face when the hood was up. When she equipped it, it gave her a defense boost of 25, and the hood was down by default.

While we walked out of the dungeon, I went through my stats and skills.

One skill caught my eye, and this was crazy.

**«Dual Wielding»  
>Skill level: 10001000  
>Skill damage: One-Handed Swords Skill x2<br>Requirements: One-Handed Swords Skill, Two Swords of equal stats, Minimum Level: 40**

Kirito closed his menu, and thought to check that out when he had the requirements. that meant more training and anither sword, maybe two...

"Kirito, there's going to be a meeting tomorrow about the boss. Someone has apparently found the boss room, and we're going to meet about raiding it."

"OK, Asuna, if you don't mind, I'm going to go... do a few things. I'll meet you back at the Inn, Kay?"

"OK." Kirito ran off, and exited the town. He followed the path, and made it to the previous village. He found the quest, and accepted it.

_The next day..._

"OK, now that everyone is here, let's get this meeting started! So anyway, I wanna thank everyone for showing up. My name is Diavel, and the Job I rolled is Knight!"

"Dude, there aren't any job systems on SAO!"

Diavel looked at them, and then continued. "While scouting a dungeon, My party found something. The Boss Room." Everyone gasped.

"We need to defeat the boss and make it to floor two. The next step is we need to tell everyone in the Town of Beginnigns it IS possible to beat this game! The fact is, it's our duty as the most capable players here! Do you agree?"

Everyone murmured for a bit, then everyone applauded.

"OK! Glad to hear you're all with me on this. Now let's figure out how we're gonna beat the boss. First we're going to team up in Parties of Six. A typical Party doesn't stand a chance against the floor boss."

"Kii-bou!" Kirito heard an all, too familiar voice behind him. It was a girl about his age, wearing a cloak, hood up. Argo, also known as Argo the Rat. She had short blond hair, and for some unknown reason, whisker-like patterns on her face.

"Hey, Argo. Didn't think you would take part in a boss fight, as you really like being an info broker, and also use Claws as your primary weapon."

"Well, I think it would be a good opportunity to learn what has been changed in the game."

"OK, well then would you like to join our party?"

"Sure." Kirito sent her a Party Invite, and she accepted.

"OK, now that everyone is partied up-" Diavel got cut off my someone.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" A guy with spiky cactus-like hair, and a sneer, almost seeming like it was seared into his face. He jumped from the very top row down ot the bottom. "My name's Kibaou, got that? You know those two thousand players that have died so far? I think some people need to apologize!"

"Kibaou, I think I know who you mean. You mean the ex-Beta Testers, don't you?"

"Yes. When this stupid game started, they just up and abandoned us. I think they should come here and give out all the money and items that they got!"

"May I say something?" A large man with dark skin walked towards him. Kibaou flinched form intimidation.

"My name's Agil. You're saying that the ex-beta testers are responsible for the rookies' deaths for not helping them, and they should pay all of their winnings. I leave anything out?"

"No."

He pulled out a book. "This is a guidebook that they handed out for free at the beginning shops. Did you get one?"

"Yeah..."

"You know who made these? The ex-beta testers." a gasp from everyone.

"This book explains about every detail on this floor, and a few floors above. Everyone read this book, even so... a lot of people still died."

Kibaou had no retort, and stomped over to take a seat. Agil sat down as well.

"Ok! This is the latest guide book you all heard about! In here is some information about the boss! his name is Illfang, the Kobolt Lord. He has four bars of health. He summons a wave of Ruin Kobolt Sentinals, and spawns more every time he loses one bar of health. He uses an Axe and Buckler, but when he reaches red HP, he switches his weapons of choice to a curved Sword-type weapon called a tulwar. He can also change his patterns of attack."

Everyone started to mutter, and a few began discussing a strategy.

"That's it for the briefing. As for distribution of loot, money is divided among everyone. Whichever partu defeats the boss, gets the XP. Any items a player gets, they get to keep it. Any objections?" No one said anything.

"Good! We leave tomorrow at ten in the morning! Meeting Adjourned!"

Everyone left. Argo told kirito she would meet him later, and left. Kirito wandered around for a bit, and entered a blacksmith.

Inside was a girl about his age, with brown hair. "Hello! I'm Lisbeth, and I am a blacksmith! Would you like any help?" Kirito nodded, and drew his sword.

"Can I get this sword upgraded?" It was an Anneal Blade +5. Lisbeth picked it up, and said, "Sure! It will only take a minute." She walked into the back room, and after a few minutes, came back out. She handed kirito the sword, and then asked for payment. Kirito payed her 2500 col, and walked back out. It was already night time, and he went to find an inn. He found one, and entered.

Once he oayed for the room, he entered it. He then collapsed onto the bed, and slept. Tomorrow would be a long day.

* * *

><p>In the real world, there would be a man working in RECTO trying to get Asuna out of SAO. His intentions weren't pure, and he didn't plan to release Asuna into the Real World. He had an Avatar in his Beta of ALfheim Online ready, but every hacker and programmer he had working on getting Asuna out couldn't do it. One hacker had sent him a way to see how she was doing in-game, and he watched as she and a boy had been training. This man had known this guy, and he was somewhat enraged that the two got along well. This boy used to be one of his friends. He wanted to get Asuna out ASAP, so she could be his. All his. This greedy man, much inspired by Norse Mythology and Shakespeare, had created a game based on fairies. A Fairy King led the world. He was that king. A king named Oberon. His "queen" if she ever was going to get out of this horrid Death Game, would be the girl named Asuna. His dear Titania.<p>

However his first problem was SAO. The only thing he could do was spectate. And he saw her stats. She was the third strongest player of eight and a half thousand. He checked on the first. Heathcliff.

This man had known Heathcliff when they were younger. The three of them, Kiriguya, Heathcliff, or actually Akihiko, and the man, Sugou was his name, had been somewhat good friends. Seeing Kiriguya and Asuna together made him see red.

Sugou, however, trusted Asuna to survive, and Kiriguya to die. There was a guild called Laughing Coffin. One man in Laughing Coffin, his username was Kuradeel, had been the cousin of one of his friends. Sugou sent him a message to kill Kiriguya- Ahem... Kirito. Once Kirito was killed by Kuradeel, in the real world he would be payed a hundred thousand. In real money. If they survived, and got to elave the death game.

_If_ was a big word. Small in length, big in meaning. If means sometimes. Sometimes means that Everything Possible is Probable. And Sugou believed in a high probability of his future wife and acquaintance to escape this death game.

But he would have to wait a long time before his wish starts.

Of course, his wish would not be fully fulfilled.


	3. III: Synthesis

_Kirito, a beta tester for this MMO, Sword Art Online, had been accepting duels after duels, days after days. Everyone wanted to be as strong or stronger than **the** Black Swordsman. One thousand Beta testers, well, Nine-hundred Ninety-nine, technically, had been dueling Kirito. Some even wanted rematches. Kirito beat them all, his health never reaching the yellow-zone, much less the red-zone._

_He decided to give up after a bit. Dueling wasn't for him anymore, and there was no point in claiming victory when nothing is at stake. In his mind, he wanted to make an achievement, one no one could ever accomplish._

_One that he had and wouldn't have ever thought would be the purpose and goal of this very game._

_A world of bitterness, hate, death._

_And, as Kirito would find out very much later, a game of Betrayal. Revenge. Heartbreak._

**_Love._**

* * *

><p><strong>"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell."<strong>  
><strong>-The Buddha<strong>

* * *

><p><em>First Person POV, universe 2XXII-493 Biological Daughter of Kazuto and Asuna. Year: 2050<em>

I am Kimiko. Kiriguya Kimiko. I am a seventeen-year-old, senior at my high-school, skipping one grade as a freshman, and probably the most unique girl you've ever seen.

My grades have always kept up to an A+. My lowest grade was a 98.98%, which was due to a test being to long, and my hand falling asleep.

I have long black hair, rolling down to my waistline. My eyes are a dark shade of blue, so close to black, no one could see the difference.

I walked down the street, and went into an alleyway. I pulled out my phone.

A face appeared. It was my "older sister" Yui. Well... She's a computer program, an AI if you will, that had been programmed to be a Counselor for players on a VRMMORPG. That stands for Virtual-Reality Massively-Multiplayer-Online Role-Playing Game. It was a game called Sword Art Online. An event that was so major, it had it's own chapter in History. My father beat the game and saved six-thousand two-hundred and some players. I don't really pay attention.

I was kind of a popular kid. I didn't want to be known because of my Father's achievements, I wanted to be known for my own.

That didn't turn out well.

I'll get to that later.

Yui started talking to me. "Kimiko-_kun_. Get to the house. Quickly." The urgency in her voice surprised me, and I ran home. I heard footsteps behind me, or so I thought. I looked over my shoulder. No one was there. I quickly made it to the house. When i got there, I saw my parents and my older Brother. Kiriguya Kirito was helping Dad with some sort of head-gear looking to be for a VRMMO. I walked in and Kirito looked at me. "Imoto-_chan. _Where have you been?"

I huffed at him. "School." My father looked at me and sighed.

"Get changed into comfortable clothing, _Musume_. We're going to need you for this." I nodded obediently, and walked to the door to my bedroom.

* * *

><p><em>Third Person POV, Kirito, universe 2XXII-493 Year: 2050<em>

Asuna looked at Kazuto. "Kazuto-_kun_ when will this be done? I'm getting kind of bored here."

"Twenty-six years together, and I have not and will never get to understand you, _Kanai_." Asuna stared coldly at him, and he flinched. "Ok, ok. I'll get working right away."

After what seemingly took forever, Kimiko already standing besides her mother, Kazuto had finished. He input a battery, and turned safety on. Then he inserted what seemed to be an old, dusty game cartridge into the back. "OK, Time: 14:00 November 7, 2024. Location Boss Room, dungeon, floor 75, Aincrad. Return after: 55 minutes." A hologram-like Yui flickered into the Helmet, as if she were actually there. She looked at Kimiko and smiled. She said goodbye to her parents and younger brother. She and the helmet disappeared in a flash of light. Kimiko looked to her parents.

"She'll be fine, wont she?"

"Yes. She's been told that she is not allowed to interact with any of the players, unless changing the time-line. She'll be fine, and so will we. She just has to activate her heart. That will set off Synthesis for me, and... what happened twenty-six years ago. She just has to wait."

Kimiko nodded at her father. and looked at the empty space that her sister used to be. She hoped that Yui would be all right. Asuna hugged Kimiko, and she didn't let go. They all hoped for the best.

* * *

><p><em>First Person POV, Kirito, Active Universe, SAO Year: 2022<em>

Everything went to plan through the first three health bars of the boss. But as soon as the fourth reached Red, Diavel screamed, "STAY BACK! I'VE GOT THIS!" I say Illfang draw his sword.

Only it wasn't a tulwar. It was a Nodachi. I yelled at him as his Sword-Skill charged up. "DON'T DO IT! STAY BACK! THAT'S NOT A TULWAR, IT'S A NODACHI! YOU'LL DIE-" He charged. And strangely, everything slowed down. My Anneal Blade shimmered in my right hand. A blade appeared in my left.

My Anneal blade +6 had just transformed into a sleek, black sword. And Elucidator +7. In my left hand, a Dark Repulsor +2.

One moment, I was at the back of the crowd. The next, I was in front of Illfang, blocking the heavy long-sword with my two blades. I deflected it, and sliced upwards with my Dark Repulsor. Next I stabbed it with my Elucidator, and it stepped back a few steps. I ran at it and held both blades' sharp ends poised at illfang. Two red, glowing lines appeared in a trail after my blades as my Elucidator sliced the head clean off. Then the blades disappeared, and I was holding my Anneal blade again.

A shower of blue polygons fell over me, and disappeared. A large glowing sign appeared over-head.

"Congratulations!"

A message popped up for me. "You got the Last Attack Bonus!" A coat. It was the Coat of Midnight I*.

Then everyone cheered. Until one voice shouted, "STOP!" everyone got quiet and the spiky haired bastard Kibaou came out of the crowd. "How'd you do it? What trick do you have that allowed you to wield two high-level blades at once? Huh?" Everyone murmured in agreement with him. One guy even stood and shouted, "I know! I know how he did it! He was a Beta Tester!" Everyone separated into two groups. One supporting me, one against me. Asuna stood next to my kneeling figure. I looked at her.

Kibaou said, "If you knew how to do this, the boss would have been a piece of cake. If you told us all, we could have beaten the first half of the game already!" People left the group that supported me. I didn't know how I did it at all, though. "You're a damn cheater!" Kibaou continued. "A beta tester, a cheater, You're actually neither. You're a Beater!" More people left the supporting group.

Agil started to say something, but I cut him off with my laughing.

In the dark, empty room, my laughs echoed. "_Haaa haaa. hahahaa. hehahaaa..."_

As I laughed myself. "Ha, hahaha, heh... haha ha ha ha..." I walked towards him, opening my menu. Then screens opened up all over me. a message popped up in my HUD, in the top corner. **«Administer Privileges Restored. Level 9 Admin»**

I dismissed the message. "Beater, huh? I like it. From now, you can call me a Beater. I don't care..." I said in a somewhat menacing voice. "Ironic, as I will **_Beat_** this game."

"Thing is, I was way stronger than every beta tester back then. Every last one. All of their equipment, degraded to nothing.

"And it was funny as nothing could keep me enjoyed as much as beating those weak Beta Testers. Most couldn't even level up.

"So as long as you don't get me confused with any measly _Beta Tester_, maybe I will let you live."

I was scared to death on the inside. I needed a way to keep the other Beta Testers safe from harm. Make sure that they don't get interrogated or killed over information or skills that never happened two months ago.

My voice was somewhat confident. It was full of mettle.

I equipped my new coat. "Don't get me confused with _any_ Beta Tester." Emphasizing my words, to make sure the message was delivered.

"Ask any of them None know what I do about these first few bosses. If you can't find any, then I have a perfect candidate for you to ask yourselves to make sure I'm telling you the truth." I saw Diavel nodding in the corner of my eye. He understood.

"In fact, there's one right there!" I tossed my starting sword towards Diabel, and it landed at his feet, indicating him being a "filthy Beta Tester". He looked at the sword, shocked, but then looked at Kibaou, and showed a face that screamed _I'm screwed..._

So he told them what he knew about that strange skill, and told them about me being honest. While Diavel told them, I walked to the exit. Before making it to the door, my hand was grabbed by Asuna. "I want to go with you..." she said, bashfully. Kirito shook his head.

"Sorry, you can't. You're a new player, for the most part, and walking around with _The Beater_ might ruin you're reputatiom-"

"I don't care! I'm going, whether you like it or not!" I nodded, only because I knew arguing was useless. I told her "Follow me, then." And we walked through the door, to the next floor.


	4. IV: Floor Five

**No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.**

**-Steve Jobs**

* * *

><p>Kirito was out leveling late. He needed to be high level in order to beat the next few bosses. He recapped what happened as he did.<p>

_Floor 2_

The boss was a bull. Well, a Minotaur, but it acted a lot like a cow. Big, fat, and smelly. Asuna and a player named Heathcliff had used sword skills to weaken it, while Tanks tanked hits.

Two people died, ironically, and the boss was beaten by Heathcliff.

_Floor 3_

Heathcliff tanked most hits, and no one saw his health reach halfway. He claimed that his defense stat was as high as he could have it, but Kirito had another suspicion.

The floor boss was an evil tree. As it turned out, it was weak to fire. Go Figure. I beat it with a flame-skill, «Searing Iron Blade». A skill he picked up from an NPC Metal Worker.

The LA Bonus was a ring. «Life Ring»_: Heals five percent of player health, and grants five second absorption time. Cooldown: 24 Hours._

That was a very handy thing to have, even if its cooldown was a day.

_Floor 4_

The boss was a large aquatic monster. A long tail, and it had every inch of its body covered in blue dragon scales.

Seven players died. Ten left the front-lines. The LA Bonus was a «Loch Mask»:_ Grants wearer ability to breathe infinately underwater. When under ten feet of water, avatar is transformed. _

That item, Kirito kept just in case.

Now he was on the fifth floor. It was covered in snow. Everywhere. He decided to rest for a bit.

* * *

><p><em>One hour later, Kirito's First Person POV<em>

I heard noises coming from a bush. Fearing it was a large, dangerous mob, I threw the first thing that I could reach, which happened to be a bunch of snow. I rolled it into a large ball, and threw it, almost with inhuman strength. I heard the snow make contact, and someone say, "_Uf!"_ I ran over there, and saw a large snowman. Then I heard Asuna's Voice. "**_You dare throw snow at me while I was wearing a damn skirt!_**"(**1.**Note of Reference at the bottom*)

Then I ran from the large snowman as it was attacking me. It seemed to have all of Asuna's stats, cause it was just as fast!

* * *

><p>After the snow melted from the snowman that was Asuna, I went back, seeing her unconscious form laying there. I picked her up, bridal style, and walked to town.<p>

This was one long night... that's for sure.

* * *

><p><em>Floor 5; Dragons' Cave<em>

A girl of around fifteen ran inside the cave, seeking refuge from the blizzard. She wore a black cloak, and you could barely see her face. Her face had smooth, light skin, and she had diamond-like shining blue eyes.

She was around five foot ten, and had a slim figure. Her arms were exposed, and she had small, delicate hands.

As soon as she sat down in the cave, a large dragon appeared, and she gasped loudly of surprise, then stayed as still as she could. She gulped, and the dragon looked at her with a violet eye. She shuddered, and the dragon raised its head and opened its mouth. She prepared to scream, and-

* * *

><p><em>Kirito, IceFire Field, Five Minutes Earlier<em>

Kirito saw the girl enter the cave, and tried to warn her that the dragon was in there, but she was already in the cave by then. He walked to the cave. Then heard a scream.


	5. V: Reminiscence and Ruminations

**LAST CHAPTER HAD 666 WORDS! HAHAHA!**

* * *

><p>Kirito heard a scream, and ran as fast as he could inside, and with his left hand, he opened his menue, while taking out his sword with the right. Time seemed to slow, and Kirito's sword glowed blue, and another sword appeared at his back.<p>

Drawing the blade, he slashed the dragon's fire in half. When the flames parted, Kirito stood there with a long black coat, an Elucidator, and a Dark Repulsor.

Kirito launched himself forward, andstabbed the dragon in the eye, and the other sword stabbed upwards into the roof of the dragon's mouth. He sliced side-wards with both blades, and the mob shattered into pieces. His attire shattered, and turned back into his usual. A black coat, with blue outlines, and one Nightsword on his back.

Kirito turned to the girl, and smiled friendly. "Hi, what's your name?"

She looked at him timidly. He realized she had no warm clothes, so he took his coat off, and re-equipped his Coat of Midnight. He gave his other coat to the girl, and she put it on. She still seemed cold, so he started a fire. In the light, he looked out into the dark sky. The snow storm was to strong for him to leave now, so he stayed there.

"I'm Kirito," Kirito introduced himself.

She looked at him, and smiled. "Hi Kirito, thank you for helping me. I'm Azura."

Kirito looked at her. The cloak hid most of her face, but he could make out two blue eyes.

He noticed a sword at her side, and a dagger in a sheath on her upper arm.

"Go to sleep. You look like you need it." She looked at him, and shook her head silently. Kirito sighed, and unequipped his weapons. She still stayed wide awake. "Don't worry, I won't do anything." After a while, Azura finally nodded off, and Kirito looked outside of the cave. He sent a message to Asuna. **「Stuck in a cave. Won't be returning until the snow stops. Tell the front-lines the boss-raid has been postponed until tomorrow.」**

He dozed off after a bit, and the world went dark.

* * *

><p>In his dream, Kirito saw a woman. She wore no clothes, so he averted his vision. He looked away from her until she said something that made him obey. "Look at me." Kirito couldn't disobey. "I am Cardinal, the AI that this game, Sword Art Online, runs on.<p>

"I have watched you, and I now know I must stop you from doing wrong, and help you on your way." Kirito saw a bunch of scenes.

Starting with Kirito abandoning Asuna, and ending when Heathcliff kills him, he understood why Cardinal would avert the history.

He wanted to prevent as many deaths as possible. Cardinal looked at him. Seeing the determination in his eyes, she showed him one last scene.

A player wearing red and white armor was swinging a dark sword down on Asuna, and Kirito, who was, god forbid, wearing white, blocked it with his left hand, and killed him with his right.

Kirito stared at the end scene. His hand had been the end of this guys life.

Cardinal looked like she was satisfied, and disappeared. Kirito drifted in the darkness for a bit. Then a flash of white covered the empty space.

* * *

><p>Kirito awoke. Azura was hugging onto his right arm while she slept, and he waited for her to wake up.<p>

When she awoke, she blushed and pulled away from him. He smiled. "You looked cute like that." She seemed to blush even more, and he chuckled, and stood. "I'm leaving. If you need me, message me. If I'm not busy, i'll come." He walked out of the cave, and teleported to the next town.

Azura looked around her for a bit. She had been powerless against the dragon. So Azura decided to train.


	6. VI: Nineteen Kirito, Akihiko None

_Asuna's POV, Eighth Floor_

I emerged from the staircase into the eighth floor.

Just to let you know, the fifth floor boss was a tiny, short Eskimo. We underestimated him. three players died, covered in snow. I killed it, and got a Blizzard Ring.

**「This ring gives the wearer ice powers. User can create and dissipate snow.」**

The sixth floor was a grassy plain.

The boss was a flower. I got embarrassingly trapped under it's roots. Then it used vines to whip me.

Beaten by a literal pansy. I couldn't even show face afterwards.

Heathcliff killed the boss. what he got, he wouldn't tell.

The seventh floor had been a forest with dead grass.

The boss was a mage-type. It had a book, and used Lightning on all players.

Occasionally, it fired a fireball, or a ball of magic. Most female players got hit with a levitation spell, and held upside down, I held on tightly to Kirito, as to not float upwards.

Using a Throwing Blades skill, Kirito killed the mage. The LA Bonus was a Storm-Callers Book, which is useless to a non-magic user.

Now we are here.

The eighth floor was a peaceful one. On the eastern side, there were canyons and on the western side, there were mountains. Kirito walked past me, and went into the town, and activated the teleport gate. Afterwards, NPC Villagers spawned.

I was too tired at this point, from that last boss. I found the nearest inn, and got a room. Then fell asleep.

* * *

><p><em>Kirito's Point of View, First Person, Eighth Floor Mountains, Helei<em>

I walked into the mountain entrance, and was immediately met with by two guards. These guards were large, muscular men. They had heavy armor, and large swords.

"Hello." I said, and they glared down at me. "I was just here to-" I got cut off by the one on the left's booming voice.

"THIS MOUNTAIN CASTLE IS THE PROPERTY OF HAGRE! THE GIANT KING! NONE SHALL PASS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE OR HIS PERMISSION IS GRANTED!"

I just stared. '_Ok, this is totally fair. there's another entrance on the northern side, so I'l go there._'

So I exited, and went to the North. When I got there, I ran into a black-brown-haired girl running out of it. We both fell to the ground.

"Ouch..." She went, and sat up. I groaned, and sat up as well. "Sorry about that..." She started. "I was being chased by-" Suddenly the booming voice from the east entrance came from the cave. '_Oh, god no!_'

I stood, and there he was. The same guard from the east side. "You have trespassed, and now I will kill you both!"

'_This is going to be my day, isn't it?_'

I drew the sword on my back, and readied it into a stance. One hand near the flat of the blade, open, and my sword hand down low. The blade pointed up at a fifty degree angle.

A red sword skill charged up, and I used it. «Sonic Leap». I stabbed him in his chest, and he stumbled backwards. I whirled around and used a slashing move, «Slant», but he blocked it. This time, I used a new one I had gotten. «Vorpal Strike». This move was a long-ranged sword skill, that used air recoil to hit the target, even if three meters away.

The guard saw the skill, and stepped back. However, before his back foot hit the ground, he was struck. He kneeled down. Then shattered. The guard behind him looked at me. Then bowed. "My apologies. The king had said to let in the one who had learned the long-range skill, and his party. You may come in." He stood to the side of the cave, and I looked at the girl. She stared at me with open-mouthed awe. I extended a hand to her, and she shook her head, and reached for it. "Hi, I'm Kirito." I said.

"I... I'm Ronye." She looked at me. Then looked down. "I... I should go." I grabbed her wrist, and she stopped. Then looked at me.

"Nice to meet you," I said. "It looked like you still want to do something. Does it have to do with a friend?"

She looked at me. Then looked away at her embarrassment. "Yes. Her name is Tiezé. I... We were separated in that cave. I think they got her... and..." She sniffed. I looked at the cave. Then walked over to it. "Stay if you wish. I'm going in." Then I ran into the cave.

* * *

><p>Looking around, I had an Idea. I held my sword forwards, and emit a sword skill[1]. I held it before releasing, and I got light.<p>

I found a door, and entered. Inside was a beautiful red-haired girl. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be chained to the wall.

The guard looked at me, and then at the prisoner. "She trespassed, and is not to leave."

"She will be with me." He looked at me, and then saw who I was. Then he opened the cage. I walked in, and let the sword skill go. «Vertical Square». The chains shattered, and the girl slumped forward. I picked her up, bridal style, and walked out. Finding my way using the left wall, I saw a room filled with light.

Inside was a giant wearing gold armor, and a gold crown. He had a sleek black long-sword. He saw me, and then said in a booming voice:

"HELLO, KENSHI-DONO[2]. YOU HAVE COME FAR. IF YOU DESIRE, I SHALL GIVE YOU THIS SWORD, FOR YOUR EFFORTS. HOWEVER, YOU MUST DEFEAT ME IN BATTLE." I held the girl, whom I assumed to be Tiezé, with one arm, and used the other to use my Knightsword.

The king drew the blade. Then charged.

* * *

><p><strong>Quick AN: TERRIBLE with fight scenes. Skipping to the part afterwards.**

* * *

><p>I jumped, and used my Thrown Swords ability to defeat the king. the Item I got was a «Midnight Royal Knightsword».<p>

The girl started to stir, and I set her down on the throne. I started to make some stew nearby. As she woke up fully, she made a surprised noise, and backed into the back of the throne. I looked to her. "Hello. I'm Kirito. I saved you from the guard." Then I tried the soup. It seemed fine, so I got a bowl and filled it with the substance I gave the bowl to Tiezé. She didn't eat it for a bit, until she started to calm. Then she picked up the bowl and tried some.

It would take a while before she opened up fully, so I sat around until she was ready to break the ice.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Asuna ran into the room. "Kirito, you idiot! Where were you? You didn't even leave me a message?"<p>

I looked to her, and sighed. I made a gesture towards Tiezé, who decided to get off the throne. Thirty minutes prior, she had finally opened up, and we talked. She got tired again, so she slept, head in my lap.

I yawned, and tossed a rapier I found behind the throne to Asuna. A «Wind Fleuret». She gasped at the great upgrade it was from her Iron Rapier, and looked at me. I yawned again, and then everything went black...

* * *

><p>[1] Reference to Percy Jackson<p>

[2] SPOILER ALERT: Reference to Light Novels 9-15


	7. VII: Mysterious Player

I woke up in the bed, Asuna cuddled under my right arm, Tiezé clutching my left, both sleeping soundly. I was in a bed, King Sized from the looks of it.

The door opened, and Tiezé opened her eyes. "Morning." The Giant Guard said as he entered the room.

"Hello..."

"I am the Guard, Ogrid. You have defeated Hagre, so you must be the new King. You now wield the Midnight Royal Knightsword."

I noticed the very sword hung on the wall on the other side of the room. Tiezé followed my gaze. Ogrid Helped my stand up, and Asuna stirred.

Ogrid gave me a crystal. It was pure white, and the metal used was a golden color.

"This will set up a new base for the castle. It can also teleport back to this one."

"Thanks. Tell the other guards that I will be leaving. Stand guard while I'm gone." Ogrid saluted, and Tiezé, Asuna, and I walked out. I turned to Tiezé.

"Ronye must be waiting for you. So, you can go. Or stay. I won't stop you." Tiezé looked at Kirito. A tear streaked down her face.

"I'll go. But, thank you for everything, Kirito." Kirito nodded. Tiezé turned around, then stopped. A friend request appeared in Kirito's face.

He accepted, and Tiezé walked away.

* * *

><p>Finding the Inn that Asuna booked, Kirito sat down on a chair. The checked his stats and skills.<p>

Then noticed something.

「«Night Sky Sword» and «Blue Rose Sword» added to inventory」

Kirito looked at the message. A small button on the bottom right appeared. He touched it.

『こんにちは、キリト。私は、これらの2つの武器が後で...お手伝いをしますように、あなたのインベントリにこれらの項目を追加した。』

Kirito read this. Then read the name of the sender.

«Eugeo»

...

Kirito re-read the message, and checked his inventory.

«Blue Rose Sword» Future «Night Sky Sword»

Not believable. It was true, though.

«Required Level: 46»

Kirito couldn't equip these yet, but he would keep them.

For later.

At least, he was curious about his player...

But decided it for later...

* * *

><p><strong>Cutting it short. See you next time, guys. Bye!<strong>


	8. VIII: Floor Twenty-Seven Boss

Azura made her way past the abnormally large crowd near the twenty-seventh floor. Her cloak had expired its durability, and her golden locks rolled down. She walked over to the meeting place for the twenty-seventh floor boss-raid.

* * *

><p>Kirito woke up to to the sound of a notification on his HUD.<p>

Heathcliff: **_I would like to see you prior to the meeting. Please arrive today at ten with your partner, Asuna._**

Kirito sat up in the bed. He shook Asuna, and she groggily awoke. "Just two more minutes..." She moaned sleepily.

"We need to see Heathcliff. It's eight o' clock, he wants to meet by ten. We can at least get some training in beforehand." Asuna sat up, and yawned. Then, they went to grind off a few more levels.

* * *

><p>At ten, Heathcliff saw Kirito walked towards him. "Hello, Kirito. I would like to make an offer. You and Asuna are the highest levels, besides myself, in the whole game. I would like to know if you would like to join my guild!" Kirito averted his eyes. "I will think about it..." Kirito said naively.<p>

Asuna perked up her gaze. She looked to Kirito. Kirito saw the look in her eyes, and nodded. "If you want to join, you can go ahead. I won't stop you." Asuna hugged him, then accepted a request from Heathcliff. Kirito looked at Asuna. "I may join later... See ya..." Kirito opened his inventory, and pulled out a ring. He put it on, and entered the meeting room.

* * *

><p>Azura found Kirito walking alone. She ran over to him. "Hi! Kirito!" He turned around.<p>

"Hi, Azura. You here fir the boss raid?"

"Yes. You inspired me to do so, when you defeated that dragon, and I have been training hard on each floor."

Kirito nodded, and then told her, "You're a sword user, so go to the third squad." She ran over there. Kirito walked to the boss room door.

"I have only one thing to say. Let's Win!" Everyone cheered, and then Kirito opened the door.

Inside was a giant with two heads, and four arms. At the base of its necks was a gem. It held four hammers. Each pair was chained together.

Kirito yelled a command. "Charge!" The whole raid group charged towards the Giant.

* * *

><p>It took two hours. They only got rid of one health bar. Kirito swore under his breath, and opened his inventory. Drawing the Night Sky Sword, he ran towards the giant, and sliced up and down, and then ended with a stab attack, Iaptor, which stabbed at the Giant's Gem. The boss switched to a guard position, and a large chunk of HP was lost. Kirito shouted, "THE WEAKNESS IS THE GEM AT THE BASE OF THE NECK! ATT ARCHERS WAIT FOR IT TO DROP ITS GUARD AND SHOOT!"<p>

Kirito readied himself. A sword shimmered onto his back, the Blue Rose Sword, and Kirito held both swords, and sliced and diced the arms until the guard was dropped, Fifty, or so, arrows pierced the gem, and the HP hit red. Kirito yelled at the top of his lungs, in an attempt to finish the boss off before its guard came up, "STARBURST STREAM!" Fifty slashes came down rapidly, seemingly in the blink of an eye, and the gem shattered. The boss fell in two, and the body started to shatter. Then a leg reached out of each side, and then the boss transformed. It was now two entities, each holding a pair of chained hammers, and very angry. Each had half the HP of the whole boss, but they seemed to have stronger offensive stats.

Groups of players were whipped out trying to destroy the thing. Then, two sword users, one with brown-black hair, the other with long, red hair, pierced through the bosses hearts, and the monsters shattered. Kirito put his swords back into his inventory.

"Good job, you two..." He trailed off when he saw who the finishing attackers were. "Tiezé, Ronye! I didn't know you were here. How are you?"

"Fine, now. If not for you on the eighth floor, I wouldn't have been here. Thank you, Kirito-dono." Tiezé said gratefully, and Kirito laughed and replied with a smile, "No need for formalities. It was my pleasure, especially for one as..." He trailed off, and turned around slowly. As he met eye contact with that person, his first reaction was to equip his swords.

Holding both the Night Sky sword and the Blue Rose sword, Kirito seemed to have gained extra strength. Kibaou held a dagger pointed at his heart. "Don't move, _Beater,_ and we won't have any problems." Kibaou sent an order to his troops, and they surged on ahead.

"If I wouldn't become a red player, I would happily kill you." Kibaou said menacingly.

"To bad you can't" Kirito struck the dagger out of Kibaou's hand, and then pointed his sword at Kibaou. Run off, won't you? Otherwise I would have a mess to deal with." Kibaou gulped as Kirito's sword neared his face.

"OK, I'm leaving. Please, please, please don't kill me..." Kibaou squeaked, and Kirito pulled his sword away. Kibaou scampered off, and Kirito told everyone else to leave for the next floor, while he, himself, did some buisness.

He walked out and used a teleport crystal, to teleport to the first floor, to talk with someone.

* * *

><p>Heathcliff, or rather, Akihiko, watched Kirito from his room at the temporary headquarters on the twenty-fifth floor. "Good, Kazuto-kun. Soon, you will realize, soon..." And Heathcliff exited out of his menu, and started on working on a strategy for the KOB to clear the next floor boss. Writing down some quick notes, he changed the boss's attack patterns. Then he sent scouts ahead, and kicked back, relaxing in his steel castle. His dream, floating in the sky.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Its Over Nine Thousand!<strong>


End file.
